Hello guys, I just want to write a bit about the DOT Compliance Group and why they send out letters to clients. I have been using this company for over 7 years now, so I should have more information about the DOT Compliance Group.
Recently, I was reading reviews about DOT Compliance Group. While almost all the reviews talked good about the company, I noticed some people were not so cool with the DOT Compliance Group letter that is being sent out from time to time.
I wouldn’t blame anyone for complaining about the letters because I did the same at the initial stage when I started using their services. However, after some time, I realized that these informative letters were meant to create awareness and save me by staying compliant with DOT rules and regulations.
I will like to share my personal experience of how the DOT Compliance Group reminder letter saved me from being non-compliant with USDOT regulations. Before I do that, let me talk a bit about the role of the DOT Compliance Group in the trucking industry.
What is DOT Compliance Group and what do they do?
DOT Compliance Group is a third-party consortium in the trucking industry. Before I started using their services, I took out time to make a thorough research about them. From my findings, the company is legally approved by the Department of Transportation to operate in the United States.
Now, there are rules and regulations put in place by DOT and FMCSA to put a check on CDL drivers. These checks are meant to protect the lives of drivers and the American population. While these rules may look normal in the eyes, complying with all the rules can be daunting and frustrating to most drivers, employers, and owner-operators.
To make the process easy for them (drivers, employers, owner-operators), USDOT partnered with third-party consortia. One of these consortia in the trucking industry is the DOT Compliance Group.
From my 7 years of experience with Dot Compliance Group, below are the 4 major services they offer:
1. UCR (Unified Carrier Registration)
UCR is a process that needs to be done every year by drivers that engage in interstate travel. Failure to abide by this rule may cost you some money. To save me from stress, I use the DOT Compliance Group for this registration.
2. The Drug & Alcohol Testing Consortium
This is a major testing program that is required for all CDL drivers to be part of. You need to be enrolled with a third-party consortium to be part of this program. As an employer or owner-operator in the trucking industry, this program is not optional. It is compulsory!
A friend of mine in Delaware lost his operating license some years back because he refused to enroll his drivers in the drug and alcohol testing program.
How does this program work? It’s simple! Enroll with a third-party consortium and you will be added to a pool of all drivers. A random selection is done every month to choose those that need to do the drug and alcohol test. For the drug test, 50% of drivers in the pool will be selected every year, while 10% of drivers will be chosen for the alcohol test.
I use DOT Compliance Group, so it’s easier for me to take the test whenever I am selected for it. No matter where I am, DOT Compliance Group will give the contact of a testing center closest to me.
3. Supervisory Training For Holders Of Safety Sensitive Positions
It is expected that every supervisor holding a safety-sensitive position gets adequate safety training. This is also part of the rules and regulations put in place by FMCSA. What this training does is that it helps supervisors to detect drivers that might be acting under the influence of drugs or alcohol. When there is any suspicion on a driver, the driver would be required to run a drug and alcohol test.
I send my supervisors to Dot Compliance Group to get safety training from time to time.
4. The Biennial Update
For motor carriers, it is expected that you file for the MCS – 150 DOT Biennial Update every two years. Failure to do this will lead to the deactivation of your USDOT registration number and penalties of about $1000 per day.
Although filing the Biennial Update is free and can be done online, I try to save myself from the stress of going through the process. Since DOT Compliance Group offers this service, I just leave it for them to do it for me.
My Personal Experience With The DOT Compliance Group Letter
I have been saved countless times by the informative letter of DOT Compliance Group. Initially, I used to see the messages from DOT Compliance Group as bugs. But now, I look forward to receiving their messages because it has saved me from penalties worth thousands of dollars.
I am a very busy guy with lots of things on my mind. I need to take good care of my family and need the way forward for my business. While trying to achieve all these, I tend to forget some of the numerous rules and regulations of USDOT. However, with the timely informative messages from the DOT Compliance Group, it helps to handle any issue related to complying with the DOT rules.
About 5 months ago, I received a letter from the company informing me that 3 of my drivers were selected for the drug test. I contacted DOT Compliance Group immediately and they handled all the processes for me. I wouldn’t have been able to keep track of the rules if not for a Compliance Company.
Should I be Bothered About The Letters From DOT Compliance Group?
I think DOT Compliance Group is a dedicated company that is trying to make its clients compliant with the DOT rules. They send out informative and reminder messages just to help you stay up to date. All you have to do is to go through their letter and act accordingly if you have to do so. If it doesn’t require you to take any action, you can just ignore it.
I just felt like sharing my opinion with people because I noticed some people aren’t so cool with the letters from DOT Compliance Group.
I hope this helps in any way.
Related video: